“Burke shows again that he’s not just a comic genius, but also a fine dramatic writer and storyteller.” – Booklist. “Prose both scabrous and poetic.” – Publishers Weekly. “Proust meets Chandler over a pint of Guinness.” – Spectator. “Among the most memorable books of the year, of any genre.” – Sunday Times. “A hardboiled delight.” – Guardian. “Imagine Donald Westlake and Richard Stark collaborating on a screwball noir.” – Kirkus Reviews. “A cross between Raymond Chandler and Flann O’Brien.” – John Banville.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

To Hell And Basque

UPDATE: New comes in hot off the Twitter that THE INSIDER by @ava_mccarthy has just been optioned for film by Jeremy Wall of Polaris Pictures. Excellent news, ma’am, and hearty congrats.

It’s been a busy, busy time for Irish crime launches recently, folks. John Connolly, Arlene Hunt, Alan Glynn, John Galvin and Stuart Neville have all offered their latest tomes in the last month or so (John Galvin publishing his fiction debut), and Ava McCarthy joins their ranks tomorrow, Thursday October 27th, with her third novel, HIDE ME. First, the blurb elves:

Feisty security expert Henrietta ‘Harry’ Martinez puts her life on the line when she goes undercover to expose an international criminal gang in this heartstopping thriller. In a game without rules, the winner takes all … Security expert Henrietta ‘Harry’ Martinez has arrived in beautiful San Sebastian, birthplace of her Spanish father. But she’s not here to explore her roots. She’s been hired by glamorous casino boss Riva Mills to expose a scamming crew, headed by ruthless conman Franco Chavez. When the crew’s expert hacker is brutally murdered, Harry goes undercover as his replacement. As she infiltrates the dangerous criminal organization, she begins to understand that Chavez’s schemes reach far beyond the casino sting. Suddenly trapped in a deadly global underworld that encompasses international terrorism, organized crime and drug cartels, Harry learns that when you play this game, you play for your life …

I’m looking forward to seeing this one, I have to say, not least for its Basque setting, which is an unusual international setting for an Irish crime author. I’m not the only one - McCarthy’s previous offerings have garnered some very nice reviews indeed. To wit:

‘Gripping … the tech details ring frighteningly true, the twists in the tight plot are smart … a storming debut thriller … in Harry Martinez, the writer has a strong, attractive and super-smart central character who is ripe for another adventure.’ - Irish Times

‘An edge-of-your-seat thriller…McCarthy cranks the tension like an experienced pro … Harry Martinez is one of the most likeable heroines I’ve read in a long time, plucky, stubborn, vulnerable and smart … McCarthy gives readers plenty to think about throughout her smart debut.’ - Irish Independent

‘An absorbing thriller … a fast-moving story makes this Irish writer’s first novel a very good start.’ - Literary Review

So there you have it. The launch of Ava McCarthy’s HIDE ME takes place at Raven Books, Main Street, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, at 7pm on Thursday, October 27th. For all the details, clickety-click here …

Crime Always Pays

The Lost and The Blind

“Burke shows again that he’s not just a comic genius, but also a fine dramatic writer and storyteller.” – Booklist

Absolute Zero Cool

“Among the most memorable books of the year, of any genre, was Declan Burke’s ABSOLUTE ZERO COOL ... a fiendishly dark thriller that evokes the best of Flann O’Brien and Bret Easton Ellis.” - Sunday Times

Books To Die For

“As good a collection of short essays on crime fiction as one is likely to find.” - Washington Post